June Frost, who ran the iconic 54 Maine St. store with her husband, Bob, for more than 40 years, died July 11. The store has been closed ever since.

Hours at the store were sporadic for years, as the Frosts tried to sell the business. But now Frosty's may be closed for good, Bob Frost said last week.

"When my wife died, my son took it very hard, and just didn't want to do it anymore," he explained. His son, John Frost, helped make the doughnuts after June Frost became ill about three years ago.

Around that time, Frost also dropped the asking price to $450,000 to hasten the sale. But there still have been no serious buyers, he said.

The Frosts opened the business in 1965 at 212 Maine St., where Benchwarmers is currently located. They chose the name Spud Nuts based on the main ingredient in their doughnut mix: potato flour.

They went into the business in order to be able to work together, Frost said, and because they had a friends with experience in doughnuts. They moved further down Maine Street in 1970 and changed the name to Frosty's Donuts in 1976.

June Frost worked the counter while Bob made the doughnuts. He said twists and chocolate doughnuts have been popular from the start, but June was always the real attraction.

"People came in just to say hello to June and talk to her because she treated everyone the same," he said. "My wife really liked people and was kind to people and liked talking to them."

On Frosty's Facebook fan group, many users agree.

"She always remembered me when I would drop in for some treats. Having my own family and taking them to Frosty's every Friday, she watched my children grow up, and remembered each one of them," one fan wrote.

"June was a dear and always had a smile for those of us who would come in early in the morning to buy boxes and boxes of donuts to satisfy our workplace cravings for for them," another said.

Those anxious for Frosty's doughnuts can buy a similar version, called Frost-D's, at Maquoit Market.

Dominic D'Alessio, who owns the market, employed John Frost for about five weeks and said their recipe is the same.

But Bob Frost denies that, and said no one is making genuine Frosty's doughnuts anywhere right now.

"They're not our doughnuts," he said. "They claim to be, but they aren't."